Sir Walter Ralegh

c.1552-1618

Sir Walter Ralegh is buried in St. Margaret's Church next to Westminster Abbey, London,
England. (The
parish church of Parliament).

Burial Plaque of Walter RaleghPhotograph by Mike
Reed

In 1603 Ralegh was implicated in the Bye plot to oust James
I. He was initially sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered but this was transmuted
to 13 years imprisonment. However, he was released from the tower in order to
undertake a voyage to Guiana to hunt for gold and silver mines. Unfortunately, his
voyage was unsuccessful and when he returned, he was subsequently beheaded.

His head was embalmed and given to his wife who kept it
with her at all times until she died 29yrs later. Their son, Carew, took care of it
until his death in 1666. It was finally buried with his son at West Horsley in
Surrey.

Much of Ralegh's poetry was written in the Tower of London. ( He was
locked up there with his family from 1603-1616.)

Today there are many
doubts concerning the authenticity of Ralegh's poetry. Poems such as
Walsingham and The Passionate Man's Pilgrimage -
traditionally attributed to him - are now thought to have been written
by another poet. However, An Epitaph upon Sir Philip Sidney is
believed to be genuine.